Cult of personality
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A cult of personality is a political institution in which a country's leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. The term often refers as well to leaders who did not use such methods during their lifetime, but are built up in the mass media by later governments.
A cult of personality differs from general hero worship in that it is specifically built around political leaders. However, the term cult of personality is often applied by analogy to refer to adulation of non-political leaders.
Background
Throughout history there have always been leaders who have fostered adulation. For much of premodern times, absolute monarchies were the dominant form of government, and monarchs were almost always held in enormous reverence. Through the principle of the divine right of kings, rulers were said to hold office by the will of God. Imperial China, ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire are especially noted for elevating monarchs to the status of god-kings.The advent of democratic ideas in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries made it increasingly difficult for monarchs to preserve this aura. However, the subsequent development of photography, sound recording, film and mass production, as well as public education and techniques used in commercial advertising, enabled political leaders to project a positive image like never before. It was under these circumstances in the 20th century that the best-known personality cults arose.
The criticism of personality cults often focuses on the regimes of Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Mao Zedong. During the peak of their reigns these leaders appeared as god-like infallible rulers. Their portraits were hung in every home or public building, and many artists and poets were instructed to produce only works that glorified the leader. The term "cult of personality" comes from Karl Marx's critique of the "cult of the individual":
- From my antipathy to any cult of the individual, I never made public during the existence of the [1st] International the numerous addresses from various countries which recognized my merits and which annoyed me. . . . Engels and I first joined the secret society of Communists on the condition that everything making for superstitious worship of authority would be deleted from its statute.
- Comrades, the cult of the individual acquired such monstrous size chiefly because Stalin himself, using all conceivable methods, supported the glorification of his own person. . . . One of the most characteristic examples of Stalin's self-glorification and of his lack of even elementary modesty is the edition of his Short Biography, which was published in 1948.
- This book is an expression of the most dissolute flattery, an example of making a man into a godhead, of transforming him into an infallible sage, "the greatest leader," "sublime strategist of all times and nations." Finally no other words could be found with which to lift Stalin up to the heavens.
- We need not give here examples of the loathsome adulation filling this book. All we need to add is that they all were approved and edited by Stalin personally and some of them were added in his own handwriting to the draft text of the book.
Characteristics
Personality cults usually characterize totalitarian, authoritarian, or one-party states, especially those with a strong revolutionary consciousness. The reputation of a single leader, often characterized as the "liberator" or "savior" of the people, elevates that leader to a near-divine level.
A personality cult is also characterized with many images and representations of a leader in public places, including statues, billboards, posters, signs, paintings, and vast murals. In many cases the leader is portrayed in various types of garb (indicating many roles) and in heroic positions. This is meant to emphasize the greatness and wisdom of the leader. The leader's slogans and other quotes cover massive spaces, and books containing the leader's speeches and writings fill up bookstores, libraries, and schools. The level of flattery can reach heights which may appear absurd to outsiders.
Personality cults aim to make the leader and the state seem synonymous, so it becomes impossible to comprehend the existence of one without the other. It also helps justify the often harsh rule of a dictatorship, and propaganda leads the citizens into believing that the leader operates as a kind and just ruler. In addition, cults of personality often arise out of an effort to quash opposition within a ruling elite, and help leaders to crush their political opponents.
To justify personality cults, leaders sometimes try to present themselves as personally humble and modest and characterize their vast personality cults as spontaneous shows of popular support and affection.
Cults of personality can collapse very quickly after the ousting or death of the leader. In some cases, the leader formerly the subject of a cult of personality becomes vilified after his death, especially after a violent overthrow. A massive effort of renaming and image-removal may take place.
The term "personality cult" does not generally refer to showing respect for the dead (such as historic national founders like Vladimir Lenin or George Washington), nor does it refer to honoring symbolic leaders who have no real power. The latter often occurs with constitutional monarchies, such as that of Thailand, in which the king or queen's image is respectfully displayed in many public places, but convention or law forbids them from converting this respect into real political power.
Cults of personality do not appear universal among all authoritarian societies. A few of the world's most oppressive regimes have in fact exhibited little to no worship of the leader. The Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia and the theocratic Taliban government of Afghanistan lacked many of the trappings of cults of personality, and the leaders in these regimes remained almost anonymous. In these cases, the lack of a cult of personality seems partly motivated by the desire to project an image of a faceless but omniscient and omnipresent state. In other cases, such as the post-Mao People's Republic of China, authorities frown upon the establishment of a cult of personality for fear it may upset the balance of power between the leaders within the political elite.
The cult of the personality in a state as described above seems similar to the functioning of person-centered leaderships in some cults. When the followers accept the charismatic authority of a person (e.g. a guru, or avatar) then this personality cult can take strong forms. Sometimes, cults or new religious movements defend this practice by comparing their living leader to mainstream religions like Christianity in which Jesus was venerated when he was still alive, or to the Ishta-Deva (chosen deity) principle in Hinduism.
Fidel Castro, the President of Cuba, often referred to as "Comandante," is a rare example of a leader who insists that he does not promote a cult of personality. When asked about the matter in 1985 Castro replied, "although we have been dogmatic, and we have never preached cult of personality. You will not see a statue of me anywhere, nor a school with my name, nor a street, nor a little town, nor any type of personality cult because we have not taught our people to believe, but to think, to reason out." Despite this, Castro has been accused of "bask[ing] in the adulation and servility of his subordinates" and "creating a regime built around the cult of the personality functions" encouraging "the illusion that only he and his select group of revolutionaries have earned the right to wield unlimited power over the people of Cuba." [3][2] Castro has also been described as an example of rise of a distinct "charismatic leader" common to developing nations, and of encouraging the "Personalistic political regime". This theory contends that Castro has maintained power largely through highly visible, charismatic leadership and popular appeals to the Cuban people, though the administration is successful only as long as the leader's charisma lasts. [4]
Examples
The following leaders are sometimes claimed to have a personality cult. Note that this list is not necessarily complete.
- He took the name Atatürk, meaning "Father Turk," in 1934. He was declared posthumously as Ebedî Şef (Eternal Chief) in October 1938. His successor İsmet İnönü fostered a cult of monuments, portraits, busts, commemorative occasions, and sites named after him. In 1951, a law ("Law Pertaining to Crimes Committed Against Atatürk") bolstering this status was enacted by Adnan Menderes government. His portraits are visible in government offices, military institutions, private enterprises, etc. as well as banknotes; virtually anywhere in Turkey. Major locations in the country bear his name, such as Atatürk Dam, Atatürk Airport, et al.
- During state visits to North Korea and the People's Republic of China, Romanian President Ceauşescu was impressed by the programs of total national transformation pursued by the ruling Communist parties in those countries. He subsequently developed a program of Systematization that included the glorification of his leadership. He received the title of "Genius of the Carpathians" and promoted his wife Elena as a renowned scientist and "The Best Mother Romania Could Have."
- The Night of the Long Knives left Hitler as the uncontested leader of the Nazi Party. He subsequently blanketed Germany with propaganda that portrayed him as the face of the new Germany, using slogans such as "One Reich, One People, One Leader." Germans were encouraged to greet each other not with the traditional Austrian greeting "heil" but with the slogan "heil Hitler." The Party newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter, printed fawning praise of Hitler, and films like Triumph of the Will used breakthrough cinematography and editing to exaggerate his physical and political stature.
- The President of Iraq styled himself as the successor of great Mesopotamians like Saladin and Nebuchadnezzar II. His statues and images were ubiquitous in Iraq under his rule, depicting him variously in Arab traditional dress, military uniform, and even as a British imperial governor. He reconstructed parts of ancient Babylon, with legends like "Saddam Hussein, son of Nebuchadnezzar" inscribed on many of the new bricks. Addressed in the later years of his rule as "Hero-President," he appeared in nightly music videos on Iraqi television that sang his praises.Said Abürish, Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge[PBS Frontline: The Survival of Saddam]
- Kim Il-sung became the leader of North Korea with support from the Soviet Union. The Soviets promoted him as a legendary anti-Japanese partisan fighter, a claim for which there are many doubts and contradicting accounts. He toured the country giving "on-the-spot guidance" on nearly all matters, reinforcing the belief that all successes in North Korea were the result of his wise leadership. North Korean media and cultural programs are filled with praise of Kim and his son, Kim Jong-il, who inherited the personality cult with little change. A 1996 Korean Central News Agency report, for example, calls Kim Jong-il "great man produced by Heaven," "most famous general in the world," and "peerless great man."Korean Central News Agency, "[Let us take after general Kim Jong Il, great man produced by Heaven]" December 9, 1996. Flight attendants on flights to North Korea introduce complimentary water with a speech about Kim Jong-il's role in ensuring emergency exits and water purification.Luis Ramirez, "[North Korea Says Famine is Over, but Many Still Go Hungry]." Voice of America. November 2, 2005
- Mussolini, as leader of Fascist Italy, used control over the press to create his image as "il Duce," the leader who was always right and could solve all political and economic problems. He spread the myth further through radio, film, and public education, and made his rule the beginning of a new calendar epoch.
- Niyazov was already the most powerful politician in Turkmenistan when it declared independence from the Soviet Union. He has since made himself the center of a revived Turkmen culture, naming cities, months, and common items such as bread after himself and his relatives. He wrote a national epic, the Ruhnama, which combines his biography with a fictionalized history of the Turkmen people. It is required reading for students and mosques are required to keep it next to the Koran.
- Eva (Evita), first lady of Argentina, received the title "Spiritual Leader of the Nation." Her flattering speeches built up her husband's image as enlightened benefactor of the poor.
- Stalin created a cult of personality in the Soviet Union around both himself and Lenin. Stalin became the focus of massive adoration and even worship. Numerous towns, villages and cities were renamed after Stalin and the Stalin Prize and Stalin Peace Prize were named in his honor. He accepted grandiloquent titles (e.g. "Coryphaeus of Science," "Father of Nations," "Brilliant Genius of Humanity," "Great Architect of Communism," "Gardener of Human Happiness," and others), and helped rewrite Soviet history to provide himself a more significant role in the revolution. At the same time, according to Khrushchev, he insisted that he be remembered for "the extraordinary modesty characteristic of truly great people."
- The poorer people of Iran saw him as a savior before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He is still a monumental figure within the theocratic Iran with his portrait in all government buildings like schools and any organization related to government. Many private individuals put his portrait in their homes and businesses to decrease their chances of being suspected of conspiracy against the regime of mullahs and their puppets; he is constantly praised. His title was elevated from Ayatollah to Imam after the 12 Shia Imams. As the Supreme Leader of Iran, he had the ultimate power in a nation where the different branches of government are not coequal. Anyone insulting him is imprisoned, tortured, and could face execution if he does not recant.
- Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese revolutionary, former president of North Vietnam, was admired by many Vietnamese, especially after his death in 1969. After the Vietnam war ended, Saigon had been renamed after Ho Chi Minh. Today, the title "Uncle Ho always lives in the people's hearts" is commonly expressed in public, in government offices, and on some means of media. The image of Ho Chi Minh is also usually displayed in schools, in public, in offices, at government meetings, etc. Statues of Ho Chi Minh were also erected throughout the country.
Notes
2 [''The Cuban Revolution: A Critical Perspective] by Sam Dolgoft. 3 [Online Newshour: Fidel Castro -- February 12, 1985] Interview with Fidel Castro 4 [Personalistic Political Leadership in Castro's Cuba] by Erin BreamReferences
See also
Opposition to cults and NRMs | Christian countercult movement | Cult apologists | Cult debate | Political cult
Charismatic authority | Mind control | Brainwashing | Exit counseling | Deprogramming | Post-cult trauma
Religious intolerance | Apostasy | Witch hunt | Bigotry
Cult of personality | Cult checklists | List of groups referred to as cults | Cult suicide
- redirect
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